This year, the first month of the year just started. In the Central Plains, Liu Yu carefully fulfilled his responsibilities to the Jin Kingdom. He sent his prince Liu Lin to lead his troops to cross Huaihuai and attack Wu. This is not the first time that Mai, Zong Han, Zong Fu and others have sent troops to the south. In the past two or three years, Liu Yu knew that it was impossible to defeat the Wu Dynasty by his own strength, and he was worried that the black flag spies in the court would be at any time and place. He may have lost his life, and he has been looking forward to Jin Guo going south to solve all problems once and for all.
However, in March, a major incident happened in the court of the Jin Kingdom. Wu Qimai suffered a stroke, and he could not stand up since then. Although he still dealt with state affairs every day, the discussion about the Southern Expedition was a big issue for Daqi. The messenger closes.
When the emperor was ill, even the Kingdom of Jin had to stabilize its internal affairs first, and the matter of the Southern Expedition would naturally have to be put on hold.
Liu Lin was defeated in crossing the river and returned with the defeated general Yang Yang. Instead, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They looked at Jin Guo and the Southwest. Both terrifying forces were silent and did not move. That's fine.
In a period of time, everyone can go through it carefully again...
It is also in this spring when the flowers are blooming, from the Damingfu to the thousands of miles of land along Zhengzhou, the fugitives with their families and their families passed through towns and passes with anxious eyes. Nearby officials organized manpower to block, drive, or kill in an attempt to keep these hungry people out of their territories.
In relatively prosperous areas, people in towns and cities struggled to make ends meet after experiencing the tyranny of Liu Yu's court. After leaving the town and entering the mountains and forests, he gradually entered hell. Mountain bandits and horse gangs looted everywhere, and the people who fled had no shelter when they left their hometowns. They gradually gathered in the place where the rumored "ghost king" was. The government also dispatched troops to break up the refugees led by Wang Shitong twice in the Huazhou boundary. The refugees were like a pool of turbid water. They were beaten a few times with fists, and they scattered, and then gradually began to gather again.
This flood of refugees occurs every year, and it is not a big deal compared to the Golden Kingdom in the north and the Black Flag in the south. After two kills, the army is no longer enthusiastic. Killing is more than killing. Sending troops requires money and food. After all, you have to manage one-third of your own land. Even if it is for the world, it is impossible to take all your time.
Development is also important.
The Yellow River turns a big bend and rushes all the way to the northeast. From the fields near Zhengzhou to the mountains and rivers near Damingfu, in many places, there is no rooster crowing for thousands of miles. Compared to when the Wu Dynasty was prosperous, the population of the Central Plains at this time had already shrunk to three parts, and the small villages had collapsed with mud walls and deserted. Wang's bandits and Juxiao's horse bandits came and went, and most of them were ragged and disheveled.
The surviving villages and capable big landowners built watchtowers and high walls, and in many cases, they were also visited by the government and the army, towing carts of goods. Horse thieves also came, they could only come, and then either the horse thieves dispersed, or the high wall was broken, and the killing and fire continued. The woman holding the baby was walking in the mud, she fell down at some point, and could not stand up again, and finally the cry of the child gradually disappeared... In a world out of order, there are not many people who can protect themselves.
The world where the trade routes were accessible and the silk and satin were once gone is gone in my memory.
To the north of Puzhou, Wang Shitong, dressed in tattered black clothes and with messy hair, squatted on the stone and stared blankly at the crowded, chaotic sea of people, hungry and thin people, his eyes had turned the color of blood.
"Wait, wait..." he murmured to his deputy, who had lost an arm.
Spring is blooming, and many of the people who went south last year froze to death in that winter. More people gather here every day. In the woods, you can sometimes find edible leaves, fruits, and small animals. There are fish in the water. Some of the people who abandoned their homes and went south after the beginning of spring still have a little bit of it. food.
They are not hungry enough.
always hungry.
North of the Yellow River, the original site of the Tiger King, after Tian Shi succeeded to the throne, he carried out wanton killings and a series of reforms. General Yu Yulin was holding the plow in the field and ploughing it himself. He came up from the field, washed the mud, and saw Lou Shuwan, dressed in black, sitting in the grass shed by the roadside to read the information.
In the past few years, I have dealt with a lot of things at hand. Every night, the woman who works under the oil lamp that is not bright has hurt her eyes. elder. After reading it, she straightened her body and Yu Yulin walked over, only to know that the third iron cannon transaction with the southern black flag was completed.
After last year's coup d'état, Yu Yulin held a heavy hand and held a high position, and the relationship between Yu Yulin and Lou Shuwan became closer. However, since then, he has spent most of his time in the north stabilizing the situation, keeping an eye on Wang Juyun, who is by no means a good ally as an "ally", and the number of meetings between the two sides has not been many.
"A month ago, Wang Juyun's subordinate An Xifu came to discuss with me about garrisoning troops and talked about Li Xizhi. I think Wang Juyun has the intention to fight with Li Xizhi, and came to test my intentions."
Yu Yulin sat down on the chair next to Lou Shuwan, talking about these things, Lou Shuwan folded her hands on her knees, thought about it, and smiled: "The war is your business, what do I know as a woman, among them Whether it's good or bad, please make it clearer to General Yu."
Lou Shuwan's words seemed distinct, but Yu Yulin had long been accustomed to her estranged attitude and didn't care: "When the Tiger King was there, there were also three of us north of the Yellow River, and now that we have joined forces, we can push towards Li Xizhi. One push. One of Wang Juyun's meanings is that Li Xizhi is an eggless person. If the Jurchen kills him, he must be on his knees and begging for mercy. Wang Juyun made it clear that the horses and horses are against the gold, and Li Xizhi is afraid that Li Xizhi will slap the cold in the back. "
"That's good for them, not for us?" Lou Shuwan smiled.
To the south of Yanmen Pass, the north bank of the Yellow River is three-pointed, and in general terms, it is naturally the territory of Daqi. In fact, the east side was controlled by Liu Yu's confidant Li Xizhi, and Wang Juyun occupied the most chaotic place near Yanmen Pass, and they did not submit to Jurchen verbally. And the best-developed Tian family forces in the middle are because they occupy the mountains that are not good for horse racing, but they have both sides.
This time, Yu Yulin, Lou Shuwan, and others who presided over the killing of the Tiger King are considered rationalists in the power. With the addition of the radical Tian Shi and others, they have long been unable to see the many scumbags who depend on the Tian family's relatives. Management has not yet formed an intricate network of interests. After some killings, the internal excitement has been somewhat effective, especially the transaction with the black flag, which has increased their private strength a lot. However, due to the ambiguous position in the past, as long as they don't tear up with the Jurchen immediately, there is always some room for turning around the Jurchen here.
"Last year, there was a lot of trouble with hungry ghosts. There are ten rooms and nine empty spaces in several eastern prefectures. Now they are no longer in shape. As long as there is food, they can eat. Moreover, with these iron cannons, it is also necessary to pick a soft persimmon for training. .But that's not the most important thing..."
When Yu Yulin spoke, Lou Shuwan interrupted with a smile: "A hundred wastes are waiting to be done, where is there any surplus food, pick soft persimmons to train troops, just pick him. Anyway, we are good people under the Jin Kingdom, and it is only right and proper for us to deal with the chaos."
Yu Yulin also laughed: "The most important thing is not this, Wang Juyun, An Xifu and others want to mess with Li Xizhi and provoke the black flag to take action."
Lou Shuwan was stunned for a while: "Damn Yanyan, what's the matter with those people?"
"Black Flag has a lot of business in Shandong."
Lou Shuwan looked at Yulin, her eyes were deep, but she was not suspicious.
"It's not just the black flag... Back then, Ning Yi used a plan to break Liangshan, borrowing the strength of several Zhuangzi in Dulonggang. Later, he also trained in Dulonggang, and he has a lot of origins with the two Zhuangzi on the post. Zhujiazhuang Zhubiao and others He also worked under him. Three years after Xiaocanghe, Heiqi fled to the south. Although Li Xizhi occupied Shandong, Hebei and other places, the people were sturdy, and he could not forcefully take many places. Dulonggang, Liangshan and other places, right in it…”
Lou Shuwan actually understood what Yu Yulin said. Back then, when Ning Yi broke through Liangshan and made friends with Dulonggang, which has a strong folklore, people didn't realize much. When Ning Yi killed the king, many things were traced back to the past, and people suddenly realized that Dulonggang was actually one of the origins of Ning Yi's armed forces. It was difficult to say how much he left there.
The three-year battle at Xiaocanghe scared the Central Plains people. Li Xizhi, who once attacked Xiaocanghe, naturally used troops against Dulonggang after taking control of Shandong, but to be honest, the fight was extremely difficult. The Zhu and Hu families of Dulonggang had to destroy Zhuangzi under the frontal advancement of the officers and soldiers. After that, they wandered in the Liangshan Shuibo area and gathered together to become bandits, which made Li Xizhi extremely embarrassed. Later, he burned Dulonggang to white ground and never occupied it. , that area has become a chaotic and unclaimed land.
Externally, the forces behind the bandits in Dulonggang and Shuibo now are Nanwu, the nemesis of the Black Flag Army. At the beginning of Ning Yi's murder of the monarch, there were a lot of people involved. The prince Zhou Junwu, the daughter-in-law of the great Confucian Wang Qisong's family, survived the protection of the prince, while Wang Shanyue, the only child of the Wang family, was originally an official in Jiangnan, and was protected by his wife Hu Sanniang after the monarchy incident. , taking shelter in Hujiazhuang. After the fall of the Central Plains, he took the blame and did not forget to worry about the country, and always led the crowd to deal with the Jurchen and Daqi officers and soldiers. Therefore, on the bright side, it belongs to the resistance forces of Nanwu.
There are not a few forces in the Central Plains who care about the Southern Dynasty, but it is easier for people to tolerate. Li Xizhi's crusades failed several times, so he let go of his mind, and everyone stopped mentioning it too much. It's only this year that there has been movement in the south, and speculations of this and that kind have floated again.
"Wang Juyun feels that there is no black flag in the north today, of course there are. Unlike you and me, the black flag spies in the court and the army, this one in Shandong is likely to be the black flag elite who have fallen down. If there is chaos in Li Xizhi , With Ning Yi's shrewdness, it is impossible not to come out and take advantage. If he wants to take advantage, he has to take risks. In the future, when Jurchen goes south, Shandong will be the first priority. At that time, he will have to rely on you and me, at least he will hope We can last a little longer."
"What if the black flag doesn't move."
"Then the interests of Shandong and Hebei will be shared equally by me. If Jurchen goes south, I can also hide in the mountains. Shandong... It's amazing."
"... He was determined to fight the Jurchen."
"The country of the Han people can be confused with you and me, but not with the barbarians. The original words of An Xifu."
"... Wang Shangshu." Lou Shuwan thought for a while and laughed. She had seen Wang Yin, the Shangshu of the Yongle Uprising, when she was in Hangzhou, but she was young at the time, and the memories of more than ten years ago now come to her mind, It has also been blurred, but there is no taste in my heart.
At that time, the innocent and young woman had only fear in her heart, and when she saw those people who entered Hangzhou, she thought they were just rude and incompetent scumbags. At this time, when I saw the fall of the Central Plains, the overturning of the world, the livelihood of millions of people in my hands, and the fear of the Jurchen threat, I suddenly felt that among those who entered the city at the beginning, there seemed to be some indomitable people. hero. This hero is very different from the previous hero.
"Like a great man." Yu Yulin said, then stood up and took two steps, "But at this time, it seems that this hero, you and me, everyone in the court, the millions of troops, and even the world, all look like It was played by that person in applause."
Lou Shuwan's eyes were calm and she didn't speak. Yu Yulin sighed: "The fact that Ning Yi is still alive should be confirmed, so it seems that he was behind the chaos last year. It's ridiculous that we fight. Death is about the life and death of millions of people, and it is just a puppet for others."
Yu Yulin said this without looking too depressed. Lou Shuwan pressed her thumb lightly on the palm of her hand: "Brother Yu is also a great man in the world, why should you underestimate yourself? The world is full of benefits. He takes advantage of the situation and we gain benefits, that's all." After she said this, Yu Yulin looked at her Raising her head, she whispered softly, "During the applause..." She didn't know what she thought of this description, and a bitter and charming look flashed in her eyes, which was fleeting. The spring breeze blew the hair of this independent woman, and in front of her was an ever-extending green field.
"I met the headmaster Lin of the Great Light Sect a few days ago and agreed that they will continue to build temples and preach here. Soon, I also want to join the Great Light Sect." Yu Yulin looked over, Lou Shuwan looked ahead , said in a calm tone, "The teachings of the Great Light Sect, under Ming Zun, are listed as the Xuannv of the World, which can control the high and low helms of the Great Light Sect here. Recruit monks and soldiers on your own. To the north of the Yellow River, we support them and help them develop on the sites of Wang Juyun and Li Xizhi. They collect food from the south, and we can also help them to look after them and transport them... Master Lin has great ambitions and has already agreed. "
She smiled: "After a while, people will know that the king is also a god from the sky, and he is the living king of Xuanwang. Brother Yu, you are also a god general who will hunt for the sky. King Tota is still the king of Chiguo, brother Yu, you might as well. Choose yourself."
Yu Yulin looked at her for a long time: "That monk is not a kind person, you should be careful yourself."
"In this world, I can't bear to bear children, how can I hold a wolf. I can save it, or he will eat me, or I will eat him."
Yu Yulin stopped talking. The two of them stood and sat there, looking forward for a long time. I don't know when, a low whisper floated in the air.
"...in the palm of my hand..."
"... Sooner or later I'll bite a piece of his meat down..."
The two big men talked for a long time in the field outside, and when they returned to the city in a carriage, a beautiful sunset was already on the horizon, and the sunset fell on the city wall of Wasion. The road was bustling with people, and there were many beggars by the city gate, but compared to the Central Plains at this time, after more than ten years of peace, this town showed an unspeakable stability and calmness, and left. Despair can always gather vitality and vitality in this corner.
"On the side of defending the land, keeping the people in the four realms, Miss Lou, all of these are indebted to you, you are very kind." Yu Yulin said this when the curtain was lifted.
Lou Shuwan looked at the crowd outside, her face was calm, as she had been for many years, there was not much vivid expression on her face.
There is no one to share this with her...
(.)